Two interstate rivals collide in Week 2 of the college football season when the 25th-ranked Stanford Cardinal meet the UCLA Bruins in Pac-10 play.

UCLA has owned the matchup overall, winning 12 of the past 17 games.  The Cardinal did snap a five-game losing streak last year, earning a 24-16 win.  A key number to keep in mind is UCLA has won six straight at home versus Stanford by an average of 12 points per game.

The latest college football lines show that Stanford is listed as a six-point favorite.

UCLA had a disappointing start to their 2010 season, suffering a 31-22 loss to the Kansas State Wildcats.  The Bruins have a chance to quickly rebound with a ranked opponent coming to the Rose Bowl.

Kevin Prince was the first returning starter at quarterback for Rick Neuheisel in his three-year tenure.  The opener did not go according to plan for Prince, as he threw for 120 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.  His completion percentage was a measly 34.6 percent, but the coaching staff has decided that he will get the start against Stanford.

Prince added a touchdown on the ground.

RB Jonathan Franklin carried the ball 13 times for 60 yards in the opener.  Expect UCLA to rely heavy on the run this weekend to keep a potent Cardinal offense on the sideline.  Colorado transfer Josh Smith was used twice in end around situations and gained 52 yards on two attempts.

The Bruins have a talented receiving core that was shut down against K State.

Nelson Rosario led the way with three receptions for 29 yards.  Ricky Marvray caught the only touchdown pass for UCLA.  The defense needs to shore up their run stopping ability after giving up 313 yards on the ground last weekend.  They will get hit with the aerial assault of Andrew Luck and company on Saturday, however.

Jim Harbaugh enters his fourth season at Stanford with one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and has played a major role in restoring the proud tradition in Palo Alto.

Andrew Luck’s arsenal of skills were on full display against Sacramento State.  He threw for 316 yards and four touchdowns completing 17 of 23 attempts.

Pro scouts are drooling over the skill set Luck possesses, and he could be Stanford’s fourth quarterback chosen first overall in a couple of years.

The Cardinal had to replace record-setting running back Toby Gerhart in the backfield.  Usua Amanam and Tyler Gaffney split carries.  Amanam gained 50 yards on eight carries, while Gaffney had 33 yards and a touchdown.

Senior wide receiver Doug Baldwin caught four passes for 111 yards and two scores.  Baldwin caught only four passes all of last season and did not reach the end zone once.  Ryan Whalen is the top returning receiver from a year ago, and was on the receiving end of four passes for 64 yards.

The offense gained over 500 total yards against an inferior opponent, but showed balance.  Stanford returns seven starters on defense and was impressive in the opener.

This is an interesting matchup that has an interesting line attached to it.  Stanford opened as a 6.5-point favorite, and it has moved down a half point.  UCLA owns the Cardinal at home and should have added motivation after starting the season with a loss.  The strength of the Bruins defense is their secondary so they should be able to hold Stanford’s passing in check to some extent.

I believe UCLA has a very good chance at winning this game straight up, so take the six points.

Play: UCLA plus-6

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